Defying Gravity
by kamers
Summary: Sirius hasn't seen eye to eye since he was exposed to what the Wizard World was really all about. Even though he'd given up on his family, they decided to give him one last chance. How will that fare with the eldest Black son? ONESHOT


_**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The song "Defying Gravity" is from the musical Wicked and I do not own it in any way._

**Defying Gravity**

Sirius Black leaned back in his chair so that it was only balancing on the back two legs. His face was troubled, as though trying to figure out a complex puzzle quickly. Suddenly, he allowed the chair to fall forward and he snatched up a long, eagle feather quill and began to write hastily on a piece of parchment that was laid out on the table in front of him.

_'Prongs,_

_'Honestly, I don't know why I didn't just listen to you. This holiday is the same as the last – filled with my mum and dad telling me how worthless I've become and them looking fondly across the room at Regulus. I don't know how much more of it I'm going to be able to handle. Is that guest room still available at your place? You know, just in case I commit some sort of murder and need a place to hide out._

_'Your completely miserable, yet much better looking, best mate'_

Sirius let out a long sigh, quickly scanning the note. He didn't want James to think that he was grovelling or going soft. No, it was just a quick message that properly warned him and his family of what was more than likely going to happen before the end of the Christmas Holiday.

Once satisfied, Sirius stuffed the parchment into an envelope and scrawled _'James Potter'_ across the top. He sealed the envelope and got to his feet, striding across the room to where his owl was sleeping in its cage.

"Oh, come on," Sirius poked the barn owl in an annoyed fashion.

The owl hooted angrily, but hopped out of the cage and onto the windowsill nonetheless. Sirius dropped to his knees next to the sill, tying the envelope to the owl and giving it some simple, hurried instructions at the same time.

"Look, just take this to James straight away, all right?" he said in a hushed voice, hoping no one was eavesdropping. "It's important."

The owl hooted once more in recognition, so Sirius wrenched the window open and watched as the bird flew away from number twelve Grimmauld Place. He tried to fight back the intense longing he felt to follow it, but knew that he had to sit it out at least a few more days. Besides, it was Christmas Day and the Potters more than likely wouldn't appreciate him falling on their doorstep on the most holy of days.

"Young master," came a voice behind Sirius, making him jump. He wheeled around to see a dingy looking house elf standing at the door. "Mistress requests your presence in the drawing room."

Sirius tried not to give the house elf the luxury of seeing him squirm and replied, "Tell her I will be right down, Kreacher."

"As young master wishes," Kreacher bent low as he exited the room, an amused smirk plain on his face knobbly face.

Sirius straightened up from where he was on the floor, leaned against the sill, and allowed his upper body to be exposed to the outside of the house. He was four stories above the ground and invisible to the Muggles that were walking down the London street. He closed his eyes and felt the cold December breeze against his bare face. It was probably going to snow soon, which Sirius was completely okay with. He loved how the world looked when it was covered with a new layer of snow – not that he'd ever admit that to his friends, of course.

Sirius ducked out of the window and gently pushed it shut. He checked his reflection quickly in his mirror, despite that he knew it wouldn't matter – his mum would find some way to degrade his appearance. In fact, it would probably make her happier the more mussed up he was. With that thought, Sirius ran his fingers through his shaggy black hair, careful that it looked perfect.

* * *

"Ah, Sirius, our eldest son," was his greeting upon entering the sitting room, a cup of tea in her hand. "Please, come sit with us." 

Sirius tensed up at the would-be pleasant tone in his mother's voice. He couldn't remember a time since he started Hogwarts that she sounded pleased to see him. After swallowing hard and decided that he wouldn't let his parents get the better of him, he sat in a tall, deep blue armchair next to the tapestry, which described his heritage.

"Kreacher told me you wanted to see me," Sirius said point blank. He was careful to make it sound neither accusatory nor questioning. It was only a statement.

"Yes," Walburga nodded, forcing herself to look at her son. "I, well, your father and I wanted to speak with you."

Sirius sat silent, knowing this couldn't be good. When neither of his parents continued talking, he gave a nod to show that he understood.

"As you know, Sirius," Orion said in an obviously fake boisterous voice, which proved just how much Walburga had planned the conversation, "you will soon be coming to an end of your Hogwarts career."

"You're nearing seventeen years," Walburga added, brushing Kreacher away as he tried to straighten her extravagant robes.

Sirius nodded once again. His seventeenth birthday was at the end of January. His fellow Marauders had already hinted at some sort of party to celebrate his coming of age.

"You will be a man," Orion pointed out.

"It will be up to you and your brother to continue the proud Black name," Walburga didn't even try to hide the pride for her family in her voice, looking over Sirius's shoulder at their family tree. "I couldn't think of a nobler task for you to set forth on."

_'I could think of a few,'_ Sirius thought sardonically, but thought better than to voice his opinion on the matter.

"Your mother and I have been discussing your choices and actions these past few years."

"We're quite displeased, Sirius."

"From being sorted into Gryffindor - "

"To your friendships with blood traitors, Mudbloods, and half breeds - "

"And your general lack of fraternizing with your brother and cousins - "

"We couldn't be more disappointed," Walburga finished the speech, her usual tone of discust reserved only for her eldest son back in her voice.

Sirius fought back the urge to squirm under their disapproving eyes. He felt as if McGonagall or Slughorn was interrogating him because someone - and he never knew who, of course - had turned the Slytherin common room scarlet and gold, rather than their usual green and silver.

When his parents didn't continue further, Sirius did the only think he could think of.

"Is there a point to all this?"

Sirius resorted to sarcasm.

The effect was obvious, but Orion was able to tame his wife by putting a firm hand on her own. Walburga's grey eyes flashed angrily at her son's insolence. Sirius had seen older pictures of her mother where her eyes were a brilliant blue - identical to his own. He hoped that he would never see his eyes fade to the emotionless clouds that his mother's had sunk to.

"The _point_, Sirius," Orion interrupted, a stern bite to his voice, "is that we have decided to point you in the right direction."

Sirius didn't like the sound of this, but had a feeling he wasn't going to have much say in whether or not he had to listen to it.

"Undoubtedly, you've heard of The Dark Lord."

No, Sirius didn't like the sound of this at all.

"Yes."

"Your mother and I have decided that it is time that you seriously considered embracing your pure heritage and celebrate it with your fellow purebloods," Orion continued.

"Bellatrix and Narcissa have both not only joined the Dark Lord's followers, but have engaged in pure marriages as well," Walburga added, her professional air back in her voice.

_'Funny, I didn't seem to have been invited to those weddings,'_ Sirius thought to himself, not bothering to hide the annoyed look on his face.

"What of Andromeda?" Sirius decided to ask, knowing full well of the burn hole where Andomeda's name had once been, having attended the wedding of his cousin's a few years earlier when she wed Ted Tonks, a Muggle born.

"Nevermind _her_," Orion replied, pursing his lips as Walburga gave the tapestry behind Sirius another look. "We're here to discuss _you_."

Sirius paused for a moment as his parents stared him down, almost daring him to disagree with their request.

"So, let me get this straight," Sirius started, crossing his legs and folding his arms in his chest appraisingly. "You want me to join the Death Eaters?" he borrowed the term used by the Daily Prophet to describe the troupe of radicals.

"We would like it if you would consider it," Orion replied with a nod.

Sirius decided to play the situation up a bit. "If I do join, will you stop treating me as if I am scum off of your shoe?"

"Err, I don't believe we - "

"And you will stop pretending Regulus is more talented, handsome, and intelligent than me?"

"We never said - "

"And I won't have to hear another word about being a so-called 'blood traitor'?"

"Of course," Orion said quickly before Sirius could interrupt him again, but exchanged a hopeful glance with Walburga.

"Well, in that case!" Sirius said excitedly, his eyes wide and a grin on his face. "No."

"Well done - wait, no?" Orion started, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"No," Sirius shook his head, getting to his feet. "I don't need your approval anymore."

"How _dare_ you!" Walburga jumped to her feet, nearly knocking Kreacher off his feet as he tried to fill her cup of tea. "How dare you even think about disobeying your father and me!"

"How dare _you_ even think I'd be the sort that would join up with a bunch of mental blighters!" Sirius shot back, his eyes flashing in a manner much like his mother's.

"We are your family and you would do so to respect us as such!" Walburga replied, pointing a long, bony finger at her son.

"You are no family of mine!" Sirius seethed, waving a hand at the tapestry. "They are not my family! I have no family!"

"And you are no son of mine!" Walburga shouted, taking a step toward Sirius. "Get out of my sight!"

"Gladly!" Sirius yelled with a final tone in his voice, storming out of the room and loudly slamming the door behind him.

Sirius made sure to angrily stomp on every step on his way back up to his bedroom, glad that he had left his wand there or he'd have hexed his mum for sure. Before he could disappear into his room, though, he saw a face poke out from the bedroom down the hall - a face nearly identical to his own.

"Sirius?"

"What, Regulus?" Sirius snapped in an annoyed fashion, obviously not up to another round of family feuding.

"Mum and Dad asked you about joining the Death Eaters, didn't they," Regulus asked, stepping out of his room, looking timid for the first time in his life as he took a step toward his brother.

"They told you?"

"They already talked to me about it."

"You're only fifteen," Sirius pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Regulus shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Why don't you at least think about it, Sirius?"

Sirius blinked blankly at his brother. "What?"

"Joining the Death Eaters," Regulus took another step toward Sirius. "Think of it - you could finally be accepted by our parents again. It would be back to when we were children."

"There are more important things in life than acceptance, Regulus," Sirius replied, putting his hand on the handle of his door.

"You're one to talk. Just look at your friends."

"Don't get me started on yours," Sirius shot back, thinking of Regulus's gang of Slytherins.

"Look, Sirius, we don't like each other a terrible lot anymore," Regulus tried a different approach. "But, you're my brother. I just want you to realize that your life could be quite easier if you let Mum and Dad - "

"That's just it," Sirius put up a hand to stop his brother from continuing. "I'm sick of fighting for our parents' approval. I'm never going to get it, no matter how hard I try."

"But this - "

"This is bullocks!" Sirius heard his voice rise, then forced it back down. "I'm not going to play into what they're saying just so I can get a pat on the back. It's wrong, Regulus."

Regulus shook his head in dismay at his brother. "Whatever makes you happy."

"Same to you, brother," Sirius nodded at him, then pushed his door open.

Sirius was glad that he had known better than to unpack his things once he had arrived at home. He had only taken a few scattered belongings out of his trunk and it didn't take long for him to gather them up around the room. Once he was finished, he wrapped his robes around his shoulder and gazed out the window once again, seeing that it had, indeed, began to snow. As the flakes lazily drifted to the ground, an owl suddenly appeared at the window, bobbing up and down with a scroll of parchment in its beak.

Sirius wrenched the window open and allowed his owl to stumble in, landing squarely on the desk. Without so much of a word, he whipped the paper away from the owl and recognized the sharp handwriting instantly.

_'Padfoot,_

_'What took so long, you git? If you're not here by tonight, I'm coming there and getting you myself. My mum is setting you a place for dinner - it's turkey and mashed potatoes. I know you love my mum's mashed potatoes almost as much as you love me._

_'Your smug, yet much more intelligent, best mate'_

Sirius couldn't suppress the wide grin that took possession of his face as he rolled the parchment back up and stowed it in the inside pocket of his robes. He quickly ushered his owl back into his cage and put it and his trunk in front of the fireplace in the far corner of the room, which was flickering low with a few licks of flame.

Sirius reached up to the small box where he stowed his Floo powder, but hesitated before he could gather any in his hand. He looked back over his shoulder and sighed. In one swift motion, he opened his trunk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and ink well.

_'I'm leaving. I'm finished trying to please you. I hope that it will be easier on all of us this way. If you want to find me, look on the opposite side of those Death Eater nutters._

_'Your son, Sirius'_

With a satisfied nod, Sirius left it on the desk before returning to where his things were. He reached for a handful of purple powder and threw it into the flames, which instantly grew. Sirius ducked into the fireplace and held tight to his trunk and owl. He looked out at the bedroom he had grown up in and felt hardly any remorse for leaving it behind.

Sirius cleared his throat once and loudly proclaimed, "Potter Manor."

As he felt the familiar dizzying sensation that came with travelling by Floo, he thought to himself, _'My _real_ family.'_

* * *

_**Author's Note: ** I was listening to the Wicked soundtrack and reading Harry Potter - basically my two obsessions rolled into one - and it hit me how much Sirius reminded me of Elphaba in "Defying Gravity." And, yes, it's because he's green. (-; Anyways, so last night I decided to set forth and write this. I've been wanting to do a one-shot for some time now, mainly because I've been getting burnout on my other stories. Anyways, there you have it. Please let me know what you think!_


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